Philippines submits document related to East Sea "pondered" for 15 years to the United Nations

According to Manila, the application to extend the continental shelf in the South China Sea argues for rights under UNCLOS 1982.

Two Chinese law enforcement vessels fired warning shots at a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea on March 5. (Photo: VCG)

On June 15, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said that the country had just submitted to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) a registration to extend its continental shelf in the East Sea.

In a statement issued on June 15, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said: "Today, through the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York, the Philippines submitted information to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, to register the Philippines' rights to an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the West Palawan area of ​​the South China Sea."

The submission of this extended continental shelf claim, approved by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., came after the Philippines conducted a comprehensive scientific and technical study of the continental shelf in the South China Sea.

Naval News reported on June 12 that the Manila government is looking to build a new military base in Subic Bay to enhance its aerial surveillance capabilities and power projection in the East Sea.

According to the Philippine Air Force’s tender documents and development plan, a new forward base will be built at Subic Bay International Airport to support reconnaissance and strike aircraft. The project marks a return and major reinvestment by the Philippines in Subic Bay, a former US naval base.

Manila's moves come amid rising tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.

Recently, the Philippines has repeatedly accused Chinese coast guard ships of harassing, blocking, and carrying out dangerous actions against their ships in the East Sea.

The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said it took more than 15 years to prepare for the submission to the United Nations. Manila argued its right under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to establish the outer limits of its continental shelf, which includes the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas, extending up to 350 nautical miles.

"Incidents at sea tend to overshadow the importance of what lies beneath," Marshall Louis Alferez, Philippine assistant secretary of foreign affairs for maritime and oceanic affairs, told Reuters . "The seabed and subsoil extending from our archipelago up to the maximum extent permitted by UNCLOS hold significant potential resources that will benefit the country and its people for generations to come."

“Today, we secure our future by asserting our exclusive right to explore and exploit natural resources, under our ECS rights,” the official added.

In late March, amid escalating tensions with China, Philippine President Marcos Jr. ordered the government to strengthen maritime security coordination to face “a series of serious challenges” in the South China Sea. In addition to the military element, resolving the dispute through diplomacy is also supported by the Filipino people.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/philippines-trinh-van-ban-lien-quan-bien-dong-nghien-ngam-trong-15-nam-len-lien-hop-quoc-275178.html